The Opelousas courier., 1887-10-08

in Arkansas. il have received q proposition
coasideratio.r sbeins the rebuilding Of op6s
sum Fork leyee. This would be an advantage
olls contract for the State, and il it can be
practically carried out, l will endeayor tc
execute it. ga sg.t.gsa a
''The braaks in The lsvees in Arkansas On
the river. and 0pdssnln 1Ilk on Cypress
Greek sfsct ia large area in the State Of
Loulslana. West Carroll, Mnreh9use' Itch
son, East Carroll, Caldwell and Concordia
are directly affected by theRe breaks, as well
as the break at Ashton, an tine water going
through facseAsfeaks helpstte swell the vol
ume coming down from Arkansas.
A OF this vast quantity OF water gathers
in the IensaS Basin and goes into Red r1veF
and into the AtehafaIasa., 1tcan be demon
streets Of Fine Bluff finds its way into the
Ouachita through the Bayou Bartholomew.
The available means at the disposal 81
the State are as folioEs:
Ievee tax per annum. SD, zoo
Making for this .sS74 sol
tsThe annual appropriation for leyee pur-
poses is barely sufficient to repair damages
from overflow, caylng banks, etc, each year.
The amount required, including work to be
lone in the State of Arkansas, and to rebuild
the Ashton, Morganza. Diamond Island and
Bougere 1evees, and to raise the levees on an
average of one foot, with q proportionate
increase of base, will be 81, $50, 600.
From these data it will be seen that it is
beyond the financial ability Of the State to
do the work.
1T is to be hoped thai all interests affected
may combine so as to rsiEe the necessary
means to accomplish this year q part of the
work. and, III during the ensuing year, we
may escape high waiter, the following year
will find us in a condition to nearly. complete
it. For this purpose l would advise that
there be
UNITY OF ACTION
in all the leyee districts-that q certain num-
Der OF days be set apart to work ON the
levees, and that, at such time, the ,entlFe
population capable oflaboring bemoved to the
front and vigorously pursue the work on the
levees. increasing their height and strength
eaing their base. Kansas viewed with alarm
| the disappearance of her forests and drying
UP OF her brooks and springs. She set apart
q day to be observed annually as Arbor Day,
She has been rewarded by forests on her
former ~tFeeless pfairies, rainfall and the mu.-
muring OF brooks in once dry places, and the
bursting forth of springs on hillsides long
yond the power of the State to do, by volun-
tary and combined action has been accom-
plished.
In the closing of crevasses and repairing
levees several railroads are directly interest
ed. 1t is but reasonable and jus5, and it will
be to their pecuniary advantage to do SO,
that they should contribute with the State in
rebuilding and repairing these ievees.
- "A WI II tRAAV 5tA1JCIV Jul C1kEGSS
the attention of the convention. This is to
provide some concert OF action during high
water by which the levees can be watched
n breaks prevented. Our leyee laws con
such levees as are Of prime Importance to
the State. To local authorities is RENTED
the care and attention to them. But of
late this responsibility has been thrown upon
the State. In a number of instances the
State has been called upon to close crawfish
holes and make other repairs the cost of
which, in the first anstance, would have been
insignificant, but when the Board Of En-
gineers were notified and the work under
taken the cost srsfled into hundreds Of dol
lars. The local satithorities or individual
owners of places refused or neglected to do
the work, and il became compulsory upon
the State. During the high water it is ALSO
lutely necessary to keep . close and constant
watch on the levees. This must be done
sidl " vii Ih ad RGlass t bsFie gol or Dg ==e eeranfssr
ktions be formed: that stations be established
NJ every. ten miles, furnished by the State
With all appliances for closing eGevasses;
sesssatly kept mp. andin case Of danger a sig
nal be given, when the entire working popn-
lati6n between the stations can be concen-
tratsd on the threatened point. Some other
to those who have had experience in these
IN Improvement of navigation.
y respectfully submit the following ex-
A. AIN6btISC " bnC 0CAS1d ABB
ssnbFHSsession OF 1882:
LsIience has demonstrated that the
MissH E0ISneg shoals wherever there are
creVs9f outlets. and deepens wherever
deepders Se cfhnaaln = series sens q of te esesss watl
will Fexqu n every appropriation for the |
ipp1ent LEI OF p harbor or river there are
to be ascertained by Congress,
lay Dmes M hin the Glars or description Of |
WO7ks faIlinAA under the Constitutional
pro isiol1. ItSsHas so with the ietti4
anE hadagocurreGfi0ften in other approp1ia-
~ ~ essary Is edteete he eI hsrbo ma # New York
geH 6hiR R.t sh sIrs diSe Sc b. sf tS Song :. s. n That
deepening ita channel. hT11 The ietpS system Fssen ~ y
mouth Of the river has proved q success
beyond expectation. Theleyees operate
rent Of Ihe, river. There Is only a difference e
In name. and not in effect, and il can make
no Difference in constitutional construc-
51on That q large section of conn
devastation and ruin by the
Ievees ige no reason why the prohibl-
should exist % to their construction,
The Jetties have given . deep. channel from
y, extending them .up, the river, q deep chan
mel will be secured to- the port Of ut. LOUIS.
Ihs same thing Gan be done ly levees. and if
JUL DuHks. are BuD3tAHtldiIy pTOb6cG6d by |
|eve.es and the water confined to its channel.
wing at The aharyes Of ST. louis. or even
hose Of Chicago since. it might be, and
the proposed Henlepin Canal and join
ne Mississippi with the great lakes by a
hip canal.
.sAs 4 part Of the plan OF the River Com.
for the
IMPROVEMENT OF THE
the river, they have declared it essential.
luring the progress of their work, TO keep
n, Q. l1Ea OF levees, and In this way the chan
iei improvement can. be more rapidly and
economically Accomplished. The Improve
tents contemplated by Congress relate solely {
Q the navigation of the river. It has ap- !
Eroged,, on more than one occasion, of the |
OF the commission. That our alluvial I
ands will be as an incident freed from inun- J
lataon Y me coralslssion succeed in their I
.ndeftakIng ! think there can be no doubt. .
believe. the only. obstacle TO the success I
4 the commission will be the want of means t
2 cssry ont their plnres. and this can only be I
Interested IN river improvement and protec-
from overflow. !.
THE whole nation is interested in the i'm !
Toyelnent of the navigation Of the Missis- {
PURPOSE in this convention. SO ais TO .
8 public sentiment 80 strong that !
'onsress will make the necessary appropria- :
which it has already Endorsed. 9
II the appropriations are made / hsve I
efficient confidence in the engineering Z
sieEt of the country to believe that it will :
ae~cessfuIy solve the Mississippi problem. 3
therefore, hope M aetion win be taken to .
lfluence Congress to make appropriations =
uTely for local levee purposes, or in favor =
! z particular lateral outlet BY which the !
Commission may be interfered With. Q
THE State of Louisiana has no authority y
close any I1avigable stream, and she cal, 2
va or the mouth of Red river. There IL 4 7
Oh 0pAniDf on this question, and as Y
Federal government hos exclusive con-
'0l over this matter Ii may be well enough
, eliminate its discussion from the conven- d
on and to wait at least until some steps are Il
.ken ny the Mississippi River Commission, 8